Granary Road is moving full force into fall with a festival that celebrates all things pumpkin.
The fourth annual Pumpkin Fest has families decorating pumpkins, building pumpkin and ghost-themed terrariums, creating jack-o'-lantern-themed caramel apples while learning pumpkin facts, guessing the weight of pumpkins for an opportunity to win prizes and participating in a pumpkin-themed scavenger hunt amidst the stunning fall colours northeast of Millarville Oct. 17 and 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The Pumpkin Festival gives people an opportunity to come and enjoy all Granary Road has to offer,” said spokesperson Jane Walter. “We have the Active Learning Park where they can spend time with their kids in the fall leaves and beautiful fields. They can come and try some pumpkin-themed activities and treats.”
One of the biggest draws to Granary Road, said Walter, is its 40-plus vendors who will offer a variety of pumpkin-themed treats and wares for the occasion including pies, perogies, mini doughnuts, soaps, cheesecake, masks, pickles and milkshakes.
“They take it as a creative challenge because it gives them the opportunity to do something a little fun and different,” she said.
Those wanting to dress up, with Halloween around the corner, are invited to do so, said Walter, adding they won’t be the only ones.
“The guests will see our goats dressed up for Halloween,” she said. “If they want to dress up, too, we love stuff like that.”
Walter expects another busy weekend if the weather continues its mild trend and said safety measures will remain in place for guests in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve gone to the tremendous expense of hiring extra staff, supplying hand sanitizer everywhere, we have a greeter that offers sanitizer to people when they walk in and we have someone who walks around the market if people aren’t social distancing and reminds them,” she said. “We have all of the AHS protocols on top of that in place.”
Walter said additional measures will be in place for some activities throughout the weekend. For instance, participants decorating pumpkins will get their own bag of supplies so nothing is shared, she said.
Entrance into Granary Road is free, although guests wanting to participate in activities in Granary Road’s 37-acre Active Learning Park must pay a $10 admission fee.
To learn which activities require tickets in advance, for more details about Pumpkin Fest or to read the COVID-19 precautions visit www.granaryroad.com
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